I believe the benefit was up to $300 per week, which of course was not enough. It's better than nothing, however. I'd like to make something clear: I'm not here to complain. All of these support measures helped artists in need. What's clear, though, is that they weren't enough. Artists had to wait to see if we were officially in lockdown, which was indeed the case in Quebec. It therefore took more time for artists to gain access to this support. The circumstances were difficult.
But when we did get access to these benefits, they were thankfully retroactive. We received money, but it took a while. The measure was in fact introduced at the last minute. Added to that was the fact that it took a number of weeks to actually receive it. Things were really difficult.
For artists, the fifth wave was one too many. It was the worst in terms of the response and the psychological distress. We had already got through four previous waves.
To answer your question, I would say that the measure was useful, although not perfect, and that it took a while to implement it.